Recent literature has discussed a device that is normally non-conductive, but under certain conditions can be rendered conductive. These are referred to in various terms such as bi-stable switching and memory devices by Sliva, Dir and Griffiths of the Physics Research Labs, Xerox Corporation, in an article in the Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 1970; Reversible Resistance-Switching Solids, as described by Earl L. Cook of Central Research Labs, 3M Company, in Vol. 41, No. 2, Journal of Applied Physics, February, 1970. For the purpose of the following description, these devices will be referred to as "reversible resistant devices". Such devices have the property that they are normally non-conductive, but upon being exposed to a physical phenomenon they are rendered conductive. The physical phenomenon may be high voltage, a high electric field or any other force that would tend to break down a dielectric component of the device.
Although reversible resistant devices have been known in the past, to date there has been no wide-spread commercial use of the same. This is believed to be because the reliability of such devices has not been high.